"This book is about a group of films made by history. The movies in this book are products of different societies at special moments of their recent evolution. Their words, images and sounds portray the features and details of those societies: their appearance, habits and rituals, their cities and countryside, morals and manners, work and ways of dealing with conflicts. These movies also have a lot to say about film making. The stories told here highlight how it was done, who it was done by and for, how it set out to entertain, enlighten and at times change minds, what brought it success with audiences." "This collection will bring a new awareness of movies to everyone who reads history and a new historical sense to those who love cinema."--Jacket.